The smell of fresh wet mud and decaying lilies joined with the howling of owls welcoming Evelyn in the late evening. Even though the sunlight still drizzled over the city this place had only darkness, devoid of every life and yet filled with rows and rows of people lying there reminiscing the leaving footsteps and secret shared conversation. Every part of her body ached after climbing the hill and there was still a long way before she reached the designated spot. Her hands turned damp again and she wiped them off her hospital gown bringing them back up looking for the trace of blood. The dream still vividly haunted every breath of her even in daytime.
Her mind subconsciously remembered every direction as she took turns moving closer and closer by the minute, the wind grew colder. Her feet planted right in front of her best friend. Dried flowers spread atop him. The once fresh flowers had all turned brown in a matter of only three days. The burning incest had turned cold.
"William Adler '' her voice was a bare whisper mingling along with the wind. "25 years old, a loving son" Evelyn read the carvings on top of the gravestone in a robotic manner.
"Is that all one becomes after death? the close relation they had." she spoke into the air talking to the gravestone or herself she had no idea. "What about a hardworking colleague, or a successful lawyer or a passionate photographer or maybe.." her voice broke at the end. "...an amazing best friend."
"You know I often used to scare myself at night thinking what if people I love die" this time she was talking to him. She knelt to the wet ground settling herself in front of the grave and in between multiple graves. "And then…. But I never imagined this would happen to you" her eyes had begun to gloss over. She hugged herself closer, the wind creeping around her. She waited for the tears to fall but they seemed to have frozen too. "If any other time I would have been creeped out by even the thought of the graveyard, yet here I am" she waved her hand at the grave as if he could see her or what her. "I had nowhere else to go since you have decided to come to rest here, so I decided to visit. If you saw me now you would probably scold me to hold myself up" her voice mimicked his and she sadly chuckled to herself. "But what do I do now?" her shoulders slumped as she rested her head atop her knees. "You aren't here to keep me upright, I don't know how to do it myself. I feel like a part of me was ripped out of me. How would I get used to not seeing you around me anymore? Everything I had was with you. My childhood memories, my painting passion joined with your photography. My college memories going with you. Us becoming lawyers and finally working in my firm. Everything. Now it seems pointless to do it without you when I did it all with you" She continued mumbling not even understanding herself. The sky had turned darker and the remnants of light had begun to fade. She looked back up again, her finger playing with the mud beneath. "How are you there though? Have you reached there? Can you see me?" she continued questioning as if he would come out from behind a tree and surprise her. Tell her it was all unreal. A bad dream. But he didn't come. "Why would someone do that to you? You were always nice to everyone.'' The confusion and mystery of it all bugged her head. Sound of feet grazing the soft grass and calm heartbeats reached her and she turned around to see her guard at the entrance of the graveyard, a bouquet of white roses in his hand. "It's time for me to leave" turning back to the grave she spoke. "I don't think I can come back here again. I am sorry, I don't think I have enough left in me. I will return when I get back up. But I don't know when. I won't abandon you though. I promise."
Evelyn carefully spread the flowers on the grave and with every flower she placed she promised one thing. "but whoever sent you there I promise to you he will live in hell while he breathes as well"
The wind that was usually welcoming to her felt haunting as the darkness deepened over the town, the moon hidden behind the clouds. Evelyn let in a ragged breath staring at the yellow tapes that surrounded the cafe in front of her. Broken glass surrounded the doors that had bullet holes piercing through it. No soul seemed to be in sight; it was all empty. With the last shred of strength left in her and her phone shining flashlight clutched in her hand she pulled up the yellow tapes passing from below them pushing inwards the slightly ajar broken door of the cafe. The door creaked echoing in the silent night making her flinch. The smell of decomposing blood hit her and she raised her hand to clasp her hand on her mouth to push down the wave of nausea rising inside of her. Before she had a chance to even move her hand, someone's hand clasped her mouth. She jumped up, her entire body jerking in response, her phone clattering down on the ground. She jabbed her elbow backwards resulting in a groan from whoever held her captive. The restraint tightened and that was another proof of how much of a bad idea this was for her considering how weak she still was.
"Who are you?" an unfamiliar sketchy male voice growled in her ears. Evelyn rolled her eyes squirming in his hold, mumbling with all the effort that she could. "Answer me" he growled once again.
She straightened and with all the force she had she forced her head back. A loud cry echoed through the haunted cafe followed by a sound of crash and she was freed- she had head butted her captive. She whipped her head around and the world once again blurred. She stumbled backwards crashing into the chairs blinking hard to regain her focus.
"Who are you?" the voice questioned again, flashing light in her eyes as she took a seat behind her clasping her head in her hand, grunting at the pain that was hitting her like a million needles all at once.
"I could ask you the same thing" she gritted out looking away from the blinding light of her own phone. "What are you doing here in a crime scene?"
"I am a detective working in my designated area." He answered standing up from the floor. Her eyes widened at his explanation and she looked up at the figure looming above her. "Now that leaves us with the question what are you doing at a crime scene"
"I am the cafe owner" she responded, snatching her phone from his hand in one swift moment. The darkness once again conquered the area.
"Lies" he simply stated catching her out his voice echoing across the room.
"I could say the same for you " she defended herself slightly surprised by being easily caught.
"Listen miss if you do not respond to me correctly at once I would be forced to drag you to the station." he threatened and she could almost feel him glaring at her.
Chuckling at his threats, she stood up from the spot. "I am Evelyn Dawson"
She heard him scoff at the revelation. "What no more retorts now?" She raised her eyebrows even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Arrest me all you want, I'll be out before you blink" she let out a dry chuckle.
This time it was his turn to laugh. "That's funny considering your entire family is on the line of suspects"
Evelyn took a step closer to the detective standing on her tiptoes reaching his eye level she said." If I find you in even a one foot radius of my family, I will destroy you" she emphasized the last words gritting them out. "And you should know better than to disregard words coming from a Dawson, especially when it's the heir of the lake city" She heard a car zooming towards the café and she took a step back from him.
They both heard the car stop by the café and turned towards the broken door. "That would be my ride" she informed walking towards the exit only pausing briefly to speak. " I hope you'll remember my words"
The wind enveloped her again as she stepped outside where the driver stood holding the car door open for her. The second she entered the familiar warmth of her car she felt all her strength evaporating as she crashed on the car seat.
"Miss, should I take you back to the hospital?" The driver questioned.
"No, the mansion"